July 26: Why is Salinas crumbling?

Is anyone talking about the extremely poor conditions of the City of Salinas sidewalks, parking lots, medians, streets and shoulders?

There are many examples downtown, Blanco Road, Abbott, Sanborn and along the borders of the highway.

It seems to many of us residents that we have become accustomed to weeds growing to 2 feet tall along our roads and through our sidewalks and trash blowing everywhere.

One only has to travel a little to see examples of other cities that cherish their communities and keep the weeds sprayed!

Do we have a city maintenance department? Are they funded properly? What is the community doing?

Steve Firth

Salinas

INALIENABLE RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE

All societies contain individuals who are fundamentally troublesome. Such people often carry weapons, perhaps due to an attitude that they can do whatever they want to whomever they want. There is absolutely nothing a society can do to prevent such behavior. Intelligent people have always known this.

Here are two examples of Americans using their inalienable right of self-defense:

From the Wenatchee (Wash.) World, Feb. 15: Tom White had seen an underweight cougar twice the day before. The next day, the cougar showed up again and began stalking White’s 14-year-old son. The cougar followed the boy as he took refuge in the basement, where White’s 11-year-old daughter shot and killed the cat to protect her brother.

From the Detroit News, March 1: A woman, who was home alone, heard noises and saw a man gaining entry to her home through a window. The woman warned the man to stop but he came through the window at her. She fired once, striking the intruder in the chest. The gunshot would prove fatal. Another woman who refused to be food for a predator.

J.J. Burnes

King City

NEVER AGAIN

In reference to your photos and articles of Salinas citizens demonstrating against Israel last week.

After 6 million Jews were slaughtered by Nazi Germany, they said, “Never again.”

Now they will not allow Hamas to launch their rockets into the midst of Israeli citizens. They have no choice but to retaliate to stop the killing of the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.

Your pictures and article are completely biased, and do not tell the whole story. Hamas is one that initiated the rocket attacks and then hide their launching sites in schoolyards and hospitals to make the Israelis look like the aggressor when they must retaliate to protect their lives.

How can you be so unfair and print such trash giving just one point of view.

“Never Again.”

Arthur Winter

Salinas

Editor’s note: By publishing photos and a report of the July 14 protest in front of the Steinbeck Post Office, merely reported on an impromptu event that took place in our city in full view of passersby and motorists who might have wondered what it was all about.